House OKs $68 million in funding for UR laser lab

The House of Representatives has approved legislation authorizing $68 million in funding for the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics in the fiscal 2015 federal budget. The funding legislation now moves to the Senate for further review.

The funding represents a $4 million increase over last year’s total federal allocation for the lab, which supports more than 1,000 local jobs in the optics and photonics field, Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-Perinton, said.

“With our educated workforce and top-notch universities, Rochester has become a national leader in innovative research, and I’m glad that this funding increase will help us continue that trend,” Slaughter said, in a statement “The work that is being done at the laser lab moves us closer to energy independence, enhances our national security and supports over 1,000 jobs both at the laser lab and in spinoff companies that benefit from the lab’s research.”

As home to two of the world’s largest and most powerful lasers, the lab is recognized nationally and internationally as one of the preeminent research facilities for the Department of Energy in partnership with two national laboratories: Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore.